Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-06-21

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thee husband.n
Leo uttered something In answer to thi
astonishing statement; don't know what
and she laughed little at his confusion, AM
went on:
aAnd thou too, o Holly; on thee also will
confer this boon, and then of truth shall
thou be an evergreen tree; and this will d.
well. because thou hast pleased me, Holly
for thou art not altogether fool, like mos
of the sons of men, and because, though thol
hast school of philosophy as full of nonsense
as those of the old days, yet hast thou moi
forgotten how to turn pretty phrase about
a lady's eyes.n
"Halloo, old fellowi" whispered Leo, with
a return of his old cheerfulness, shave you
been paying compliments / should never
have thought it of you'll"
ii thank thee, o Ayesha." replied, with
as much dignity as ! could command. shut II
| there be such a place rs thou dost describe,
and II in this strange place there can he found
a fiery virtue that can hold Off Death when
he comes to pluck us by thu hand. yet would
none of it,"
"Nay, my Holly, there Is love-love which
makes all things beautiful, and doth breathe
divinity into the very dust we tread. With
love shall life roll gloriously from year TO
year, like the voice of some great music that
hath power to hold the hearers heart poised
on eagles wings above the sordid shame and
folly OF tho earth"
at may he so.n / answered; abut If the
loved ono prove broken reed to pierce us,
or II the loved be loved in vain what theni
Shall man grave his sorrows upon a stone
when he hath but need to write them on the
waterl Nay, o She, will live my day and
grow old with my generation, and die my mp
pointed death, and be forgotten. For do
hope for an immortality to which the little
span that perchance thou canst confer will be
but rs fingers length laid against tho
measure Of the great world; and, mark this,
the Immortality TO which look, and which
my faith doth promise to me, shall be free
from the bonds that here must tie my spirit
down. For while the flesh endures sorrow
and evil and the scorpion whips Of sin must
endure also; but when the flesh hath fallen
from us, then shall the spirit come forth clad
in the brightness of eternal good, and for its
common air shall breathe so rare an ether of
most noble thoughts that the highest aspira-
ton Of our manhood, or the purest incense Of
a maiden's prayer would prove too earthly
gross to float therein"
"Thou loolest high" answered Ayesha,
with a little laugh, ~and speal1est clearly as a
trumpet and with no uncertain sound. And yet
methinks that but now didst thou talk OF
that unknown from which the winding sheet
doth curtain us. But perchance thou seest
with the eye Ct faith, gazing on this bright
ness that is to be through the painted glass of
thy Imagination. Strange are the pictures of
the future that mankind can thus draw with
this brush of faith and this many colored pig
ment Of imagination could tell thee But
there, what is the use; why rob fool of his
baublel Let it pass, and pray, o Holly,
that when thou dost feel old ago creeping
slowly toward myself, and the confusion of
senility making havoc in thy brain, thou
mayst not bitterly regret that thou didst cast
away the imperial boon would have given
TO thee But so it hath ever been; man can
never be content with that which his hand
can pluck. If n lamp be in his reach to light
him through the darkness, he must needs cast
II down because it is no star Happiness
danceth ever pace before him, like the
marsh fires in the swamps, and he must catch
tho fire. and he must hold tho star Beauty
Is nnught TO him, because there arc lips more
others can weigh him down with heavier
'hekels; and fame is naught, because there
have been greater men than he Thyself
thou saidst it, and turn my words against
thee. Well, thou dreamest that thou shalt
pluck the star. believe it not, and think
thee fool, my Holly, to throw away the
lamp"
Imado no answer, for could not-especially
before Leo-tell her that since had seen her
face knew thnt 1t would always he before
my eyes, and that had no wish to prolong
m existence which must always be haunted
and tainted by her memory, and by the last
bitterness OF unsatisiied love. But SO it was.
md so, alasl is it to this hour.
sand now" went on She, changing her
tome and the subject together, tell me, my
Knllikrates, for as yet | know it not, how
came We to seek me herel Yestornight thou
ldst say that Kallikrates-him whom thou
sawest--was thine ancestor. How was itl
Tell me-thou dost not speak overmuch.n
Thus adjured Leo told her the wonderful
story of the casllet and the potsheirl that,
written on by his ancestress, tho Egyptian
Amenartas, had been the means OF guiding
rs to her. Ayesha listened intently, and,
when he had finished, spoke to me:
"Did not tell thee one day, when we did
talh of good and evil, o Holly--it was
when my beloved lay so ill-that out OF good
came evil, and out Of evil good-that they
who sowed knew not what the crop should
be, nor he who struck, where the blow should
falll See, now: this Egyptian Amenartas,
this child of the Nile who hated mo, and
whom even now hate, for in a way she did
prevail against me-see, now, she herself hath
been the very means to bring her lover to
mine arms. For her sake | slew him, and
now, behold, through her he hath come back
10 mel She would have done mo evil, md
iowed her seeds that might reap tares, and
behold she hath given me more than all the
world can give, and there is a strange square
or thee to tit into thy circle of good and evil
Holly.
"And So" she went on, after pause-aand
% she babe her son destroy me II he might,
because / slew his father And thou. nv
Kallikrates, art the father, as in sense thou
lrt likewise the son; and wouldst thou
lvenge thy wrong, and the wrong Of that
ar off mother Of thine, upon me, o KALI
iratesi Sec" and she slid to her knees and
lrew the white corsage still further down her
worry bosom-"see, here beats my heart, and
here by thy side is a knife, heavy and long
md sharp, tho very knife to Stay an erring
woman with. Take it now, and DO avenged. |
Strike, and strike home, SO shalt thou be salts
He'd, kallikrates, and go through life happy |
man because thou hast paid back tho wrong, |
md obeyed the mandate Of tho past.p He |
iand and lifted her 10 her feet -.----
"fise, Ayesha," he said, sadly; Hwell thou
nowest that | cannot strike thee, no. rot |
,ven for tho snke OF her whom thou slewest |
out last night | am in thy power, and
very slave TO thee. How can I kill theei- |
ooner should STAY myselfn
almost dost thou begin to love me, Kali |
rates,p she answered. smiling. "And now |
ell me of the country-'tis great people, is |
: not, with an empire like that Of Homer |
Surely thou wouldst return thither, and It Is |
well. for mean not that thou shouldst dwell |
n these caves Of Kor. Nay, when once thou
lrt even as am, we will go hence-fear not
shall find means-and then shall we cross
% this England of thine, and live as IL bo-
,ometh US to live Two thousand years have
waited for the day when / should SEQ the
asst OF these hateful caves aud this gloomy
'isaged folk, and now it is at hand, and my
leart bounds up to meet 1t like chidis |
oward its holiday. For thou shalt rule tbia